Ontario premier Doug Ford is speaking now from Toronto. Says the difficult public health measures Ontario has implemented were necessary, but the province is now positioned to remove "almost all" restrictions.
Ford says public health advisers are "working on a plan" to eliminate the vaccine passports.
Ford says Canadians have the right to speak out but "all rights are subject to reasonable limits."
"I call it a siege, because that's what it is. This is an illegal occupation," Ford says of convoy-related demonstrations. Says it's "no longer a peaceful protest," but thanks those who showed up, protested and went back home.
"To those who have chosen to take a city of one million people hostage...your right to make a political statement does not outweigh the right of hundreds of thousands of workers to earn a living," Ford says to convoy protesters.
"There will be consequences to these actions, and they will be severe," Ford says, touting Ontario government's court order to freeze GiveSendGo contributions.
BREAKING: Doug Ford is declaring a state of emergency and will "urgently enact orders that will make crystal clear it's illegal and punishable to impede the movement of people, goods and services along critical infrastructure."
Ford says punishments for Ambassador Bridge and Ottawa protests will include fines of up to $100,000 fines and/or up to a year in prison, as well as removal of personal and commercial driver's licenses.
Statement from Ford's office:
https://twitter.com/ColinDMello/status/1492163778485620743
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
